Buying a do-upper and creating an architectural masterpiece is the dream of many New Zealanders. But not many renovation projects end up as supreme as this one.
2 Kingsland Avenue in Kingsland, Auckland City needed some serious TLC when it went to market in 2016.
But Fiona and Michael immediately saw potential in the circa 1905 villa – and discovered a few secrets along the way.
“It was a student flat when we bought it and just about every room was a bedroom,” says Fiona.
Start your property search
When the vendors bought 2 Kingsland Avenue in 2016, it was a do-upper and needed some serious TLC. Photo / Supplied
“A mattress had even been stuffed into a doorway and boarded up to create another room. But when we pulled the mattress away from the door, we discovered a height chart of someone’s three children.
“Long before it had been a student flat, it had been a family home. The light in the home was beautiful, the proportions were right, it had soul and history, and we just knew we could make it great again.”
Fiona and Michael have created a haven that harks back to its roots as much as it has been modernised.
“This is a very considered house. We wanted to create spaces that would be used.
The lawn has been a family playground and the garden an all-year-round provider of vegetables. Photo / Supplied
“We didn’t want the centre of the home to be the TV; we wanted it to be about painting, reading, food, creating memories – we wanted it to be about life.”
Fiona has used colour to create different sensations throughout the house.
“We have two young daughters who are very bright and loud and come with sequins and sparkles and are always dressed up as unicorns and princesses,” she says.
“We wanted the lounge to be a still, adult zone. The deep blue/grey of the walls create a cosy, intimate space where we can retreat from the noise and busyness of life.”
The circa 1905 villa at 2 Kingsland Avenue in Kingsland has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Photo / Supplied
Outside is an enormous garden with room for every possible family-related activity.
The vegetable gardens have filled Fiona’s fridge all summer (“I can’t remember the last time I bought veges!”) and the cedar-lined outdoor lounge featuring Michael’s baby, an enormous fireplace, is perfect for both daily life and entertaining.
“This is the place that Michael is going to miss the most,” Fiona says.
“He cooks the most incredible meals for us on that fireplace; one year he cooked the entire Christmas dinner on it.”
The cedar-lined outdoor lounge features an enormous fireplace where the vendor once cooked an entire Christmas dinner. Photo / Supplied
Ray White agent Robyn Ellson, who is marketing the property with colleague Olivia Doyle, says homes of this calibre don’t come to market very often.
“It’s such a privilege to market a home like this. I’m completely in love with the style and attention to detail. Add the dreamy section which makes you feel like you’re in the countryside and you’ve got something quite remarkable,” Ellson says.
Fiona says the joy in her home is unique and special.
The deep blue/grey of the walls of the house create a cosy, intimate space. Photo / Supplied
“Life has a habit of throwing you lemons, but having a haven that really looks after you can be the difference between crumbling under them or making it through.
“This home is that haven. I love that we can impart the joy and sense of sanctuary and safety that we’ve created in this home onto another family. I hope it cocoons and loves them like it has us.”
2 Kingsland Avenue in Kingsland, Auckland City will be sold at auction on February 18.
